Communion 


BX 

9189 

.C5 

K4 

1920 


tibvavy  of  <the  Cheolocjicai  gminaxy 

PRINCETON  ■  NEW  JERSEY 
PRESENTED  BY 

The  Estate  of 
Victor  H.  Lukens 


BX  9189  .C5  K4  1920 
Kerr,  Hugh  Thomson,  1871- 

1950. 
.My  first  communion 


Mv  Jfftat  flkmummum 


Suglj  (L  Kerr,  1. 1. 


JUtilaiirlpbia 

PrrBbgtrrtan  Boarfc  of  ^uhltrattoa  ano 

0abba!l?  &rl?a<il  Work 

1920 


^ 


fflTcliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiJiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimii 


COPYRIGHT,  1920,  BY 
THE  TRUSTEES  OF  THE  PRESBYTERIAN  BOARD  OF 
PUBLICATION  AND  SABBATH  SCHOOL  WORK 


-£*/y 


CONTENTS 

CERTIFICATE  OF  CHURCH  MEMBERSHIP.     3 
MY  COVENANT 6 

I.  &JY  FIRST  COMMUNION 7 

II.  BAPTISM  AND  CONFIRMATION 14 

III.  WHAT  IT  MEANS  TO  BE  A  CHRISTIAN      .    .   22 

IV.  WHAT  IT  MEANS  TO  CONFESS  CHRIST     .    .    29 

V.  WHAT     IT     MEANS     TO     BE     A     CHURCH 

MEMBER 33 

VI.  GROWING  IN  THE  CHRISTIAN  LIFE  ....   41 

VII.  THE  TRUTH  ABOUT  TEMPTATION      ....    50 

VIII.  LOYAL  UNTO  THE  LAST 57 


/on/^ 


'MaL 


^i^^n^/^€€Z^€^y0^9^<^^^ ^//<92— 


^*<i£>rs 


MY  <  OVENANT 

ave  promised 

To  serve  thee  to  the  enn1; 
Be  thou  forever  near  me, 

Mv  Master  and  my  frriend: 
I  shall  not  fear  the  battle 

If  thou  art  by  my  side, 
\,,r  wander  from  the  pathway 

H  thou  wilt  be  my  Guide. 

0  let  me  feel  thee  near  me. 
The  world  is  ever  near; 

1  see  the  sights  that  dazzle, 

The  tempting  sounds  I  hear: 
My  foes  are  ever  near  me, 

Around  me  and  within; 
But,  Jesus,  draw  thou  nearer. 

And  shield  my  soul  from  sin. 

O  let  me  hear  thee  speaking 

In  accents  clear  and  still, 
Above  the  storms  of  passion. 

The  murmurs  of  self-will: 
O  speak  to  reassure  me. 

To  hasten  or  control; 
0  speak,  and  make  me  listen, 

Thou  Guardian  of  my  soul. 

O  Jesus,  thou  hast  promised 

To  all  who  follow  thee 
That  where  thou  art  in  glory 

There  shall  thy  servant  be; 
And,  Jesus,  I  have  promised 

To  serve  thee  to  the  end; 
O  give  me  grace  to  follow 

My  Master  and  my  Friend. 

Rev. John  E.  Bode 


----- 


:^B 


CHAPTER  I 


MY  FIRST  COMMUNION 


THE  first  Communion  is  a  sacred  time  in  the  life 
of  the  Christian.  It  marks  a  definite  step  in 
life.  It  is  an  act  of  faith  in  which  the  Christian 
gives  himself  to  the  Saviour  and  in  which  the  Saviour 
gives  himself  to  the  Christian.  Jesus  said,  "This 
do  in  remembrance  of  me."  In  the  Communion 
service  we  draw  near  to  him  and  he  draws  near  to  us. 

Those  who  have  been  baptized  in  infancy  are 
already  members  of  the  Church  and  the  Communion 
service  is  for  them  the  confirmation  of  the  vows 
which  were  undertaken  for  them  by  their  parents 
at  the  time  of  their  baptism.  Those  who  have  not 
been  baptized  in  infancy  are  first  instructed  in  the 
Christian  faith  and  then  baptized.  They  are  then 
received  immediately  into  full  membership  of  the 
Church  and  to  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper. 

It  is  the  happy  privilege  of  the  pastor  to  seek  and 
to  find  those  who  wish  to  confess  and  confirm  their 
faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus,  by  participating  in  the  Holy 
Communion,  and  it  is  his  joy  to  prepare  them  for 
their  first  Communion,  and  to  instruct  them  con- 
cerning the  Christian  life.  Either  individually,  or 
through  a  communicants'  class  he  leads  them  into  an 


*ST"^£™  •■"  ^SB 


lif 


MY  FIRST  COMMUNION 


intelligent  faith  concerning  the  things  most  surely 
believed  by  the  Christian  Church,  and  by  that  branch 
of  the  Church  with  which  they  wish  to  unite,  and 
then  the  session,  which  is  the  governing  body  in  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  being  satisfied  as  to  their 
sincere  desire  and  Christian  training,  receives  them 
into  full  membership  in  the  Church  and  they  are 
given  all  the  rights  and  privileges  of  Church 
members. 

In  the  Presbyterian  Church,  the  sacrament  of  the 
Lord's  Supper  is  observed  four  or  more  times  a  year 
and  usually  at  the  Sunday  morning  service.  At  this 
service  those  who  have  been  received  into  full  mem- 
bership of  the  Church  by  the  session,  are  publicly 
welcomed  by  the  members  of  the  Church.  The 
service  on  Communion  Sunday  is  not  quite  the  same 
as  on  other  Sundays.  The  Communion  table  is 
covered  with  white  linen  and  on  the  table  are  bread 
and  wine.  The  service  is  unusually  quiet  and  rev- 
erent and  hymns  and  Scripture  speak  of  Christ  and 
his  sacrifice  for  us  upon  the  cross.  The  minister  may 
give  a  Communion  address,  or  he  may  occupy  the 
entire  time  in  the  observance  of  the  sacrament. 
When  the  Communion  service  begins,  the  minister 
and  the  elders  take  their  places  around  the  table. 
After  stating  briefly  the  purpose  and  meaning  of  the 
sacrament,  the  minister  in  the  name  of  Christ  invites 
"all  that  are  truly  sorry  for  their  sins  and  would  be 


i 


Ill    FIRST  COMMUNION  9 

delivered  from  the  burden  of  them,  all  that  humbly 
put  their  trust  in  Christ,  and  desire  his  grace  that 
they  may  lead  a  holy  life,"  to  come  to  the  sacrament. 

A  Communion  hymn  is  sung  and  then  the  beau- 
tiful words  about  the  Lord's  Supper  found  in  I  Cor. 
11:23-26  are  read: 

"I  have  received  of  the  Lord  that  which 
also  I  delivered  unto  you,  That  the  Lord 
Jesus  the  same  night  in  which  He  was  be- 
trayed took  bread;  and  when  He  had  given 
thanks,  He  brake  it,  and  said,  Take,  eat: 
this  is  My  body,  which  is  broken  for  you: 
this  do  in  remembrance  of  Me.  After  the 
same  manner  also  He  took  the  cup,  when 
He  had  supped,  saying,  This  cup  is  the  New 
Testament  in  My  blood:  this  do  ye,  as  oft 
as  ye  drink  it,  in  remembrance  of  Me.  For 
as  often  as  ye  eat  this  bread,  and  drink  this 
cup,  ye  do  show  the  Lord's  death  till  He 
come." 

After  the  bread  has  been  broken,  and  the  prayer 
of  consecration  offered,  the  minister  takes  the  bread 
and,  as  the  elders  stand  ready  to  receive  it,  says, 

"Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  on  the  same 
night  in  which  He  was  betrayed,  having 
taken  Bread,  and  blessed  and  broken  it, 
gave  it  to  His  disciples;  as  I,  ministering 
in  His  Name,  give  this  Bread  unto  you; 
saying,  Take,  eat:  this  is  My  Body,  which 
is  broken  for  you;  this  do  in  remembrance 
of  Me." 


j- 


PTin 


10 


MY  FIRST  COMMUNION 


Then  the  minister,  who  is  also  himself  to  com- 
municate, gives  the  bread  to  the  elders  to  be  distri- 
buted, and  when  all  the  people  have  communicated, 
the  minister  serves  the  bread  to  the  elders. 

The  bread  is  received  as  a  symbol  of  the  body  of 
our  Lord.  Jesus  said,  "This  is  my  body,  which  is 
broken  for  you."  He  called  himself  "the  bread  of 
life."  Just  as  we  take  bread  to  nourish  our  bodies, 
so  we  take  Christ  to  be  the  food  of  our  souls.  Jesus 
frequently  spoke  about  the  hunger  of  the  soul  and 
his  power  to  satisfy.  "He  that  cometh  to  me  shall 
not  hunger."  When  Jesus  died  for  us  upon  the 
cross,  it  was  in  order  that,  through  his  death,  we 
might  have  eternal  life.  In  this  sacred  service,  by 
faith,  we  take  Jesus  to  be  our  Saviour. 

After  the  bread,  the  wine  is  served  in  like  manner. 
The  minister  takes  the  cup  and  says: 

"After  the  same  manner  our  Saviour  also 
took  the  Cup;  and  having  given  thanks, 
as  hath  been  done  in  His  Name,  He  gave 
it  to  His  disciples,  saying,  This  Cup  is  the 
New  Testament  in  My  Blood,  which  is  shed 
for  many  for  the  remission  of  sins:  drink 
ye  all  of  it." 

The  wine  is  a  symbol  of  the  blood  of  Christ,  "which 
is  shed  for  many  for  the  remission  of  sins."  The 
whole  service  brings  us  into  fellowship  with  the 
Lord  Jesus,  who  loved  us  and  gave  himself  for  us. 


MY  FIRST  COMMUNION  11 


^B 


The  Lord's  Supper  is  the  visible  and  outward  sign 
and  seal  of  the  invisible  and  inward  life  of  Christ 
in  us,  by  which  we  live.  It  proclaims  the  Lord's 
death.  It  ministers  to  our  souls,  and  it  points  us 
forward  to  the  time  when  he  will  come  again.  In 
the  Scottish  Highlands  there  is  a  spring  at  which 
Prince  Albert  once  drank.  The  owner  of  the  spring 
fenced  it  around  and  placed  there  a  monument. 
Travelers  from  far  and  wide  stop  at  that  little 
mountain  spring  and  recall  the  prince  to  whose 
memory  the  spring  is  now  dedicated.  The  spring 
is  thus  both  a  memorial  and  a  blessing.  In  a  much 
more  sacred  sense,  it  is  so  with  the  Lord's  Supper. 
The  sacrament  brings  to  our  remembrance  him  who 
loved  us  and  gave  himself  for  us,  and  at  the  same 
time  it  ministers  grace  to  our  hearts. 

Care  should  be  taken  to  come  to  the  Communion 
with  prepared  hearts.  All  services  held  preparatory 
to  the  Communion  should  be  faithfully  observed. 
Above  all  we  should  examine  our  own  hearts  and  pre- 
pare ourselves  to  be  Christ's  guests.  The  hymn  called 
"My  Covenant"  (page  6)  is  a  beautiful  consecration 
hymn,  and  may  be  used  as  a  prayer.  While  the 
service  is  one  of  quiet  reverence  and  deep  devotion, ' 
it  should  be  also  a  service  of  thankfulness  and  joy. 
Before  coming  to  the  service,  and  upon  entering  the 
church,  God's  blessing  should  be  invoked.  A  prayer 
such  as  this  will  be  helpful: 

,...„„'  r.  ' 


12  MY  FIRST  COMMUNION 

"Almighty  God,  unto  whom  all  hearts  are 
open,  all  desires  known,  and  from  whom  no 
secrets  are  hid;  Cleanse  the  thoughts  of  our 
hearts  by  the  inspiration  of  Thy  Holy  Spirit, 
that  we  may  perfectly  love  Thee,  and 
worthily  magnify  Thy  holy  Name;  through 
Christ  our  Lord      Amen." 

After  partaking  of  the  bread,  and  also  after  partaking 
of  the  wine,  the  time  of  silence,  with  closed  eyes 
and  bowed  heads,  should  be  used  for  meditation 
and  prayer.  At  this  time  the  persons  dearest  to 
our  hearts  may  be  brought  to  God  in  prayer,  and 
his  guidance  and  blessing  asked  concerning  the  things 
which  hold  our  hearts.  Familiar  words  of  Scripture 
and  favorite  hymns  may  be  called  to  mind.  The 
words  of  hymns  such  as  "Just  as  I  Am,"  "Rock  of 
Ages,"  "My  Faith  Looks  up  to  Thee,"  "O  Jesus, 
I  Have  Promised,"  "Jesus  Calls  Us;  O'er  the 
Tumult,"  may  be  used. 

After  the  distribution  of  the  wine,  turning  to 
praise  and  thanksgiving  the  following  prayer  may 
be  used: 

"Heavenly  Father,  we  lift  our  hearts  to 
Thee  in  gratitude  and  praise.  We  thank 
Thee,  O  Lord,  for  this  hour  of  blessed 
fellowship,  for  the  faith  by  which  we  have 
fed  upon  Christ,  for  the  sense  of  Thy  near 
Presence,  for  the  assurance  of  our  forgive- 
ness, and  for  all  the  spiritual  strength  and 


MY  FIRST  COMMUNION  19 

comfort  Thou  hast  imparted  to  our  souls. 
Grant  us  Thy  divine  help  to  keep  the  vows 
we  have  made;  may  the  uplifting  sense  of 
Thy  Presence  leave  us  not  as  we  leave  Thy 
House,  but  remain  to  guide  and  defend  our 
lives.  Grant  unto  us  patience  and  per- 
severance, that  as  often  as  we  faint  and 
grow  weary  we  may  be  strengthened  by 
Thy  grace;  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord. 
Amen." 

Such  a  service  will  make  the  entire  day  one  of 
blessed  memory  and  quiet  joy.  As  we  leave  the 
church  the  Presence  of  Jesus,  will  go  with  us  and  in 
company  with  him,  at  home  and  at  our  work,  we 
shall  know  the  Christian's  secret  of  a  happy  life. 


& 


CHAPTER  IT 


BAPTISM   AND    CONFIRMATION 


There  is  no  prescribed  form  of  service  either 
in  the  case  of  children  of  the  Church  who  publicly 
confirm  their  baptismal  vows  or  of  those  from 
outside  the  Church  who  are  to  receive  the  sacra- 
ment of  baptism  before  they  can  come  to  the 
Communion. 

There  are  therefore  included  in  this  chapter  the 
orders  for  these  services  from  "The  Book  of  Com- 
mon Worship"  prepared  by  a  committee  of  our 
General  Assembly.  They  set  forth  clearly  just 
what  is  the  nature  of  the  vows  the  new  communi- 
cant takes;  and  where  these  services  have  been 
originally  used,  to  read  them  time  and  again  may 
well  serve  as  a  wholesome  reminder  of  our  trans- 
actions with  God. 


I  Hi    ORDER  For 

THE  ADMINISTRATION  OF   BAPTISM 
TO   ADULTS 

AND 
THEIB  RECEPTION   TO  THE  LORD'S  SUPPER 

*  When  unbaptized  persons  apply  for  admission  into  the  Church, 
they  ."hall,,  in  ordinary  cases,  after  giring  satisfaction  with  re- 
spect to  their  knowledge  and  piety,  make  a  public  profession 
of  their  faith  in  the  presence  of  the  congregation  ;  and  there- 
upon be  baptized. — Directory  for  Worship,  Chap,  x,  Sec.  4. 

%  The  Candidates  appearing  before  the  Minister,  he  shall  say, 

LTEAR  the  Words  of  the  Institution  of  this  holy 
1  *  Sacrament,  as  delivered  by  our  Lord  and  Saviour 
to  His  disciples,  before  His  ascension  to  the  right 
hand  of  God: 

"All  power  is  given  unto  Me  in  heaven  and  in 
earth.  Go  ye,  therefore,  and  teach  all  nations, 
baptizing  them  in  the  Name  of  the  Father,  and  of 
the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost:  teaching  them  to 
observe  all  things  whatsoever  I  have  commanded 
you:  and,  lo,  I  am  with  vou  alway,  even  unto  the 
end  of  the  world." 

Hence  St.  Peter,  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  called 
upon  the  people,  saying,  "Repent,  and  be  baptized, 
every  one  of  you,  in  the  Name  of  Jesus  Christ,  for 
the  remission  of  sins,  and  ye  shall  receive  the  gift 
of  the  Holy  Ghost.  For  the  promise  is  unto  you, 
and  to  your  children,  and  to  all  that  are  afar  off, 
even  as  many  as  the  Lord  our  God  shall  call.'* 

Doubt  ye  not,  therefore,  but  earnestly  believe, 
that  He  will  number  among  His  people  these  present 
Persons,  trulv  repenting  and  coming  unto  Him  by 

■*P3E 


16  MY  FIRST  COMMUNION 

faith,  and  that  this  Baptism  with  water  in  His 
Name  shall  be  unto  them  the  sign  and  seal  of  the 
washing  away  of  their  sins,  their  engrafting  into 
Christ,  their  regeneration  by  His  Holy  Spirit,  and 
their  engagement  to  be  the  Lord's. 

^[  The  Minister  shall  then  say  to  the  Persons  to  be  baptized, 
and  each  one  shall  answer,  as  follows: 

r^EARLY  beloved,  who  are  come  hither  desiring 

to  be  baptized,  you  are  now  faithfully,  for  your 

part,  in  the  presence  of  God  and  this  congregation, 

to  promise  and  answTer  to  the  following  Questions. 

Question.  Do  you  receive  and  profess  the 
Christian  faith,  and  in  this  faith  do 
you  desire  to  be  baptized? 

Answer.     I  do. 

Question.  Do  you  confess  your  sins,  and  turn 
from  them  with  godly  sorrow,  and  put 
all  your  trust  in  the  mercy  of  God, 
which  is  in  Christ  Jesus;  and  do  you 
promise  in  His  strength  to  lead  a  sober, 
righteous,  and  godly  life? 

Answer.     I  do. 


If  The  Question  here  following  is  to  be  omitted  at  this  point  in 
case  this  Order  of  Baptism  is  used  in  connection  with 
that  for  the  Confirmation  of  Baptismal  Vows, 

Question.  Now  desiring  to  be  received  to  the 
Lord's  Supper,  do  you  promise  to  make 
diligent  use  of  the  means  of  grace, 
submitting    yourself     to     the     lawful 


. 


BAPTISM   WD  CONFIRMATION  .     17 

authority  and  guidance  of  the  Church, 

and     continuing     in     the     peace     and 
fellowship  of  the  people  of  God? 

Answer.     I  do. 

Tf  Then  the  Minister  shall  say, 

Let  us  pray. 

\/\/E  beseech  Thee,  O  Lord,  that  it  may  please 

*  *  Thee  to  receive,  and  to  sanctify  with  Thy 
Spirit,  these  Persons  now  to  be  baptized  according 
to  Thy  Word;  that  they  may  obtain  the  fulness  of 
Thy  grace,  and  ever  remain  in  the  number  of  Thy 
faithful  children;  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord. 
Amen. 

T\  Then,  all  present  reverently  standing,  the  Person  to  be  baptized 
will  kneel  down,  and  the  Minister,  pronouncing  his  name, 
shall  pour  or  sprinkle   water  upon  his  forehead,   saying, 

"^ ,  I  baptize  thee  in  the  Name  of  the  Father' 

**  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost.     Amen. 

Tf  Then  the  Minister  shall  say, 

\A/E  receive  this  Person  into  the  congregation  of 

*  *  Christ's  flock;  in  the  confidence  that  he  shall 
never  be  ashamed  to  confess  the  faith  of  Christ 
crucified,  and  to  continue  Christ's  faithful  soldier 
and  servant  unto  his  life's  end. 

Here,  if  Persons  who  have  been  baptized  in  infancy  are  to 
be  received  to  the  Lord's  Supper,  they  may  be  called  to  come 
forward;  and  the  Minister,  omitting  the  remainder  of  this 
Order,  may  proceed  with  the  Order  for  the  Confirmation  of 
Baptismal  Vows,  the  newly  baptized  persons  still  standing 
in  their  places  before  him. 


MY  FIRST  COMMUNION 


^f  Then  the  Minister  (laying  his  hand,  if  such  be  his  discretion, 
upon  the  head  of  every  one  in  order  kneeling  before  him)  shall 
say, 

pvEFEND,  O  Lord,  this  Thy  Child  with  Thy 
-"^  heavenly  grace;  that  he  may  continue  Thine  for 
ever;  and  daily  increase  in  Thy  Holy  Spirit  more  and 
more,  until  he  come  unto  Thy  everlasting  kingdom. 
Amen. 

Let  us  pray. 

A  LMIGHTY  God,  our  heavenly  Father,  we  give 
■^*  Thee  hearty  thanks  and  praise  that  Thou  hast 
not  withheld  Thy  loving  kindness  from  these  Thy 
servants,  but  hast  given  them  shelter  within  the 
covenant  of  Thy  peace,  and  makest  them  to  sit 
down  at  Thy  Table.  We  entreat  Thee  of  Thy  great 
mercy  to  perfect  in  them  the  good  work  Thou  hast 
begun;  that  they,  being  defended  by  Thy  fatherly 
hand,  and  strengthened  with  power  through  Thy 
Spirit  in  the  inward  man,  may  be  enabled  to  keep 
this  covenant  without  spot,  unrebukable,  until  the 
day  of  the  appearing  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
Amen. 

VTOW  unto  Him  that  is  able  to  keep  you  from 
-^  falling,  and  to  present  you  faultless  before  the 
presence  of  His  glory  with  exceeding  joy;  to  the 
only  wise  God  our  Saviour,  be  glory  and  majesty, 
dominion  and  power,  both  now  and  ever.     Amen. 

\  Baptism  is  not  to  be  administered  to  any  that  are  out  of  the  vis- 
ible Church,  and  so  strangers  from  the  covenant  of  promise, 
till  they  profess  their  faith  in  Christ  and  obedience  to  Him.— 
Larger  Catechism,  166. 


THE  ORDER  FOR 

THE  CONFIRMATION  OF  BAPTISMAL 
VOWS 

AND 
RECEPTION  TO  THE  LORD'S  SUPPER 

t  At  the  time  appointed,  the  Minister  shall  say, 

y  HESE  Persons  now  to  be  named,  who  are  baptized 

-*•    children  of  the  Church,  have  been  examined,  and 

approved  by  the  Session  as  to  their  knowledge  and 

piety,  and  now  present  themselves  publicly  to  confirm 

the  vows  made  for  them  in  Baptism. 


If  The   Minister  shall  then   read  their   names, 
come  forward,  and  stand  before  him. 


and   they   will 
\  Then  addressing  them,  the  Minister  shall  say. 


r\EARLY  beloved,  in  your  Baptism  you  received 
"■^  the  sign  and  seal  of  your  engrafting  into  Christ, 
and  were  solemnly  engaged  to  be  the  Lord's.  And 
forasmuch  as  you  now  desire  to  confirm  the  covenant 
then  made  in  your  behalf,  and  to  obey  His  command- 
ment by  confessing  Him  before  men,  you  are  to 
make  answer  faithfully  to  the  following  Questions. 

Question.  Do  you  here,  in  the  presence  of  God 
and  this  congregation,  confess  Christ 
as  your  Lord,  and  adhere  to  that 
Christian  faith  wherein  you  were 
baptized? 


Answer.     I  do. 


19 


£0 


MY  FIRST  COMMUNION 


Question.  Do  you  ratify  and  confirm  the  vows  of 
your  Baptism,  and  promise  with  God's 
help  to  serve  the  Lord,  and  keep  His 
commandments  all  the  days  of  your 
life? 

Answer.     I  do. 


^  Here,  if  any  Adults  have  been  baptized  at  the  same  Service, 
the  Minister  shall  address  the  folloiving  Question  to  them 
as  well  as  to  those  who  were  baptized  in  infancy,  and  they 
shall  be  included  in  the  following  parts  of  this  Order. 


Question.  Now  desiring  to  be  received  to  the 
Lord's  Supper,  do  you  promise  to 
make  diligent  use  of  the  means  of  grace, 
submitting  yourself  to  the  lawful 
authority  and  guidance  of  the  Church, 
and  continuing  in  the  peace  and  fellow- 
ship of  the  people  of  God? 

Answer.     I  do. 

Tf  Then  the  Minister  (laying  his  hand,  if  such  be  his  discretion, 
upon  the  head  of  every  one  in  order  kneeling  before  him) 
shall  say, 

T~)EFEND,  O  Lord,  this  Thy  Child  with  Thy 
*~*  heavenly  grace;  that  he  may  continue  Thine 
for  ever;  and  daily  increase  in  Thy  Holy  Spirit 
more  and  more,  until  he  come  unto  Thy  everlasting 
kingdom.     Amen. 

Let  us  pray. 

A  LMIGHTY  God,  our  heavenly  Father,  we  give 
**'  Thee  hearty  thanks  and  praise  that  Thou  hast 
not  withheld  Thy  loving  kindness  from  these  Thy 
servants,   but   hast   given   them   shelter   within   the 


whitT^o'* 


BAPTISM   AND  CONFIRMATION  21 

covenant  of  Thy  peace,  and  makes!  them  to  sit  down 
at  Thy  Table.  We  entreat  Thee  of  Thy  great 
mercy  to  perfect  in  them  the  good  work  Thou  hast 
begun;  that  they,  being  defended  by  Thy  fatherly 
hand,  and  strengthened  with  power  through  Thy 
Spirit  in  the  inward  man,  may  be  enabled  to  keep 
this  covenant  without  spot,  unrebukable,  until 
the  day  of  the  appearing  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
Amen. 

\\OSS  unto  Him  that  is  able  to  keep  you  from 
-^  falling,  and  to  present  you  faultless  before  the 
presence  of  His  glory  with  exceeding  joy;  to  the 
only  wise  God  our  Saviour,  be  glory  and  majesty, 
dominion  and  power,  both  now  and  ever.     Amen. 
\\   Children  born  within  the  pale  of  the  visible  Church,  and  dedi- 
cated to  God  in  Baptism,  are  u nder  the  inspection  and  govern- 
'    merit  of  the  Church;  and  are  to  be  taught  to  read  and  repeal 
the  Catechism,  the  Apostles'  Creed,  and  the  Lord's  Prayer. 
They  are  to  be  taught  to  pray,  to  abhor  sin,  to  fear  God,  and  to 
obey  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.     And  when  they  come  to  years  of 
discretion,  if  they  be  free  from  scandal,  appear  sober  and 
steady,  and  to  hare  sufficient  knowledge  to  discern  the  Lord's 
body,  they  ought  to  be  informed  it  is  their  duty  and  privilege 
to  come  to  the  Lord's  Supper. — Directory  for   Worship, 
Chap,  x,  Sec.  1. 
Tf   The  years  of  discretion  in  young  Christians  cannot  be  precisely 
fixed.      This  must  be  left  to  the  prudence  of  the  eldership. 
The  Officers  of  the  church  are  the  judges  of  the  qualifications 
of  those  to  be  admitted  to  sealing  ordinances,  arid  of  the  time 
when  it  is  proper  to  admit  young  Christians  to  them. — 
Directory  for  Worship,  Chap,  x,  Sec.  2. 
^  A  public  Service  for  the  reception  of  baptized  persons  to  the 
Communion  is  not  to  be  regarded  as  a  part  of  either  Sacra- 
ment,  nor  as  an  invariable  condition  of  their  admission  to  the 
Lord's  Supper,  but  simply  as  a  method  advisable  in  ordinary 
cases,  the  occasions  when  it  may  be  necessary  or  proper  to 
use  some  other  method  being  left  to  the  prudence  and  judgment 
of  the  Officers  of  the  Church. 


CHAPTER  III 

WHAT    IT   MEANS   TO    BE    A    CHRISTIAN 

A  CHRISTIAN  is  one  in  whom  Christ  lives.  The 
Christian  bears  the  same  name  as  Christ.  It 
was  not  the  only  name  used  to  describe  the  followers 
of  Jesus.  They  were  called  "disciples."  Jesus  was 
their  teacher.  They  were  his  pupils.  They  were 
called  "believers"  because  they  attached  themselves 
to  him  in  loving  loyalty.  They  were  called  "saints" 
because  they  had  separated  themselves  from  the 
pagan  world  and  had  pledged  themselves  to  purity. 
As  their  numbers  grew  they  called  themselves 
"brethren"  for  a  bond  united  them  that  death 
could  not  break.  Gradually,  however,  the  followers 
of  Jesus  came  to  be  called  "Christians."  We  first 
meet  with  the  name  in  the  book  of  The  Acts.  "The 
disciples  were  called  Christians  first  in  Antioch." 
Acts  11:26.  The  name  was  first  given  in  a  spirit 
of  scorn  and  ridicule,  and  in  the  New  Testament 
it  seems  to  have  that  meaning.  Acts  26:28;  I 
Peter.  4:16.  The  name  identified  Christians  with 
Christ  who  had  been  crucified,  and  because  the 
name  was  the  truest  of  all  descriptions  it  has  lived 
and  has  become  a  word  of  love  and  loyalty.  What 
greater  honor  could  a  Christian  desire  than  to  be 

22 


WHAT  IT   MEANS  TO   HK  A   CHRISTIAN 


identified  with  Christ?  A  Christian  is  one  in  whom 
the  Spirit  of  Christ  lives.  He  has  the  mind  of  Christ. 
It  is  possible  to  show  how  very  simple  and  yet 
how  very  real  this  definition  is.  When  the  question 
is  asked,  "What  is  an  American?"  the  reply  is, 
"An  American  is  one  who  loves  America  and  is 
loyal  to  American  ideals.  He  is  one  in  whom  the 
spirit  of  America  lives."  In  like  manner  a  Christian 
is  one  who  loves  Christ  and  is  loyal  to  him.  Robert 
Browning,  the  poet,  so  loved  Italy  and  so  identified 
himself  with  Italy  that  he  could  say: 

Open  my  heart,  and  you  will  see 
Graved  inside  of  it  "  Italy." 

A  Christian  can  say,  "Open  my  heart,  and  you  will 
see  graven  inside  of  it  '  Christ.* '  The  Apostle  Paul 
was  so  united  in  faith  and  life  to  Jesus  that  he  said, 
"It  is  no  longer  I  that  live,  but  Christ  liveth  in  me." 
The  Christian  bears  the  name  of  Christ  and  Christ's 
Spirit  lives  in  him. 

All  that  Jesus  is  means  something  to  the  Christian. 
Every  name  he  bears  is  related  to  the  need  of  the 
Christian.  In  a  European  city  there  are  twelve 
statues  of  Christ  erected  upon  the  great  bridge  over 
the  river.  There  are  figures  of  Christ  as  a  carpenter, 
a  sower,  a  physician,  a  pilot,  a  friend,  and  before 
each,  according  to  their  need,  the  devout  people  of 
that  Roman   Catholic  country  wait  and  worship. 


i^fflganS 


MY  FIRST  COMMUNION 


There  is,  of  course,  only  one  Christ,  and  yet  he  comes 
to  each  one  of  us  according  to  his  need.  Every 
name  of  Jesus  relates  the  Christian  to  his  Lord. 

"Jesus,  my  Shepherd,  Brother,  Friend, 
My  Prophet,  Priest,  and  King, 
My  Lord,  my  Life,  my  Way,  my  End, 
Accept  the  praise  I  bring." 

In  the  New  Testament  Jesus  bears  a  threefold 
name.  This  threefold  name  alone  adequately  de- 
scribes him,  and  a  Christian  is  one  who  lives  in  the 
spirit  of  all  that  is  implied  in  this  triple  name:  The 
Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

1.  He  is  called  the  Lord.  The  Christian  should 
therefore  follow  him.  The  first  thing  Jesus  de- 
manded of  those  who  professed  faith  in  him  was 
that  they  follow  him.  He  called  one  after  another 
to  him  saying,  "Follow  me,"  and  among  the  very 
first  doctrines  of  the  Church  is  the  one  which 
simply  stated  the  fact,  "Jesus  is  Lord."    I  Cor.  12:3. 

Jesus  did  not  expect  his  disciples  to  understand 
him  fully.  He  asked  them  to  follow  him,  to  obey 
him,  to  live  with  him,  and  in  his  presence  they  would 
come  to  know  him.  It  was  only  after  the  disciples 
had  been  with  Jesus  many  months  that  he  said, 
"Who  say  ye  that  I  am?"  and  because  they  had 
followed  him  and  lived  with  him,  Peter  was  able 
to  say,  "Thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living 
God." 


D 


].,:'.  ■  ■■  ■  • 


WHAT  IT  MEANS  TO  BE  A  CHRISTIAN        25 

In  speaking  to  boys  and  girls  about  becoming 
Christians,  I  bury  Drummond  once  said,  "If  any 
of  you  want  to  know  how  to  begin  to  be  a  Christian, 
all  I  can  say  is  that  you  should  begin  to  do  the  next 
thing  you  find  to  do  as  Christ  would  have  done  it.'* 

A  Christian  then  is  one  whose  Master  is  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.  What  Jesus  wants  him  to  be,  he  will 
try  to  be,  and  what  Jesus  wants  him  to  do,  he  will 
try  to  do.     The  prayer  of  his  heart  will  be, 

"O  Master,  let  me  walk  with  thee. 
In  lowly  paths  of  service  free." 

2.  He  is  called  Jesus.  Before  he  was  born  it 
was  said  of  him,  "Thou  shalt  call  his  name  Jesus; 
for  it  is  he  that  shall  save  his  people  from  their  sins." 
For  this  reason  there  is  no  name  sweeter  than  the 
name  of  Jesus.  We  call  him  Jesus  because  he  is  our 
Saviour.  He  is  our  Saviour  from  the  sin  of  our  own 
hearts.  WTe  only  know  what  a  terrible  thing  sin 
is  when  we  see  Jesus.  It  was  for  our  sin  he  suffered 
and  died  upon  the  cross.  "Him  who  knew  no  sin 
he  made  to  be  sin,"  and  in  his  death  we  find  life. 
When  we  speak  of  sin,  we  mean  not  only  wrong  acts 
and  wrong  words,  but  wrong  thoughts  and  wrong 
feelings.  We  sin  in  wandering  from  his  ways,  in 
wasting  his  gifts,  in  forgetting  his  love,  and  in  Jesus 
we  find  not  only  pardon  and  peace  but  power  to  live 
true  to  him. 


26  MY  FIRST  COMMUNION 

When  King  Oscar  of  Sweden  was  on  his  deathbed 
the  queen,  a  beautiful  Christian  woman,  bent  over 
him  and  whispered  in  his  ear,  "If  we  walk  in  the 
light,  as  he  is  in  the  light,  we  have  fellow- 
ship one  with  another,  and  the  blood  of  Jesus  his 
Son  cleanse th  us  from  all  sin."  The  king  opened 
his  eyes  and  said,  "Thanks  be  to  Jesus."  Those 
were  his  last  words,  and  in  that  name  he  fell  asleep 
trusting.  In  life,  as  in  death,  we,  too,  can  trust 
and  not  be  afraid. 

"Nothing  in  my  hand  I  bring, 
Simply  to  thy  cross  I  cling." 

3.  He  is  called  Christ.  When  the  first  disciples 
were  able  to  say,  "Jesus  is  the  Christ,"  they  became 
by  that  confession  Christians.  To  call  Jesus 
"Christ"  is  to  confess  that  he  is  God's  Anointed, 
God's  King,  and  that  in  him  the  Kingdom  of  God 
has  come.  In  him  all  God's  promises  and  revelations 
are  perfected.  He  is  Son  of  Man,  and  Son  of  God. 
Jesus  said,  "He  that  hath  seen  me  hath  seen  the 
Father."     For  us  Jesus  is  God. 

This  is  the  faith  of  the  Christian.  This  faith  is  ex- 
pressed in  most  wonderful  words  by  the  Apostle  Paul. 
Phil.  2:5-11.  Every  Christian  should  know  these 
matchless  verses  and  treasure  them  in  his  heart; 
"Have  this  mind  in  you,  which  was  also  in  Christ 
Jesus:  who,  existing  in  the  form  of  God,  counted 
not  the  being  on  an  equality  with  God  a  thing  to 


WHAT  IT  MEANS  TO  BE  A  CHRISTIAN        27 

be  grasped,  but  emptied  himself,  taking  the  form 
of  a  servant,  being  made  in  the  likeness  of  men; 
and  being  found  in  fashion  as  a  man,  he  humbled 
himself,  becoming  obedient  even  unto  death,  yea, 
the  death  of  the  cross.  Wherefore  also  God  highly 
exalted  him,  and  gave  unto  him  the  name  which  is 
above  every  name;  that  in  the  name  of  Jesus  every 
knee  should  bow,  of  things  in  heaven  and  things 
on  earth  and  things  under  the  earth,  and  that  every 
tongue  should  confess  that  Jesus  Christ  is  Lord, 
to  the  glory  of  God  the  Father." 

The  Christian  believes  that  Jesus  is  God.  He 
worships  and  adores  him,  and  the  hope  of  his  heart 
is  that  some  day  he  will  see  him  as  he  is.  A  Christian 
is  one  who  has  the  mind  of  Christ.  In  him  the 
Spirit  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  lives,  and  his  one 
ambition  is  to  be  like  Christ.  The  motto  of  his 
life  is,  "For  me  to  live  is  Christ."  The  prayer  of 
the  apostle  is  his  prayer,  "That  Christ  may  dwell  in 
your  hearts  through  faith;  to  the  end  that  ye, 
being  rooted  and  grounded  in  love,  may  be  strong 
to  apprehend  with  all  the  saints  what  is  the  breadth 
and  length  and  height  and  depth,  and  to  know  the 
love  of  Christ  which  passeth  knowledge,  that  ye 
may  be  filled  unto  all  the  fulness  of  God." 

In  one  of  his  sermons  Phillips  Brooks  pictured 
Michelangelo,  the  great  artist,  standing  at  a  window 
looking  into  a  house  where  the  canvas  was  stretched, 


28 


MY  FIRST  COMMUNION 


the  paints  all  prepared,  the  brushes  arranged  and 
ready.  As  he  stood  looking  he  said,  "If  I  were 
inside  what  a  picture  I  could  paint!"  The  story- 
contains  a  parable.  Suppose  we  forget  Michel- 
angelo and  think  of  Jesus.  It  is  he  who  stands 
looking  in  upon  us.  Talent  and  thought,  affection 
and  all  great  possibilities,  await  his  coming.  He 
says,  "Behold,  I  stand  at  the  door  and  knock: 
if  any  man  .  .  .  open  the  door,  I  will  come  in." 
When  he  comes,  life  becomes  Christian,  for  a 
Christian  is  one  in  whom  Christ  lives. 


CHAPTER  IV 

WHAT    IT   MEANS   TO    CONFESS    CHRIST 


A  CHRISTIAN  cannot  be  a  coward.  He  cannot  be 
a  Christian  and  not  acknowledge  his  relation  to 
Christ.  Not  to  openly  confess  Jesus  is  to  deny  him. 
Somewhere  the  story  is  told  of  a  village  church 
which  possessed  a  clock  that  had  no  hands.  Year 
by  year  the  clock  was  faithfully  wound  up  and  kept 
in  running  order.  It  gave  the  sexton  much  trouble 
and  the  village  no  service.  A  Christian  who  does 
not  confess  Christ  is  like  a  clock  that  lacks  both 
hands.  If  we  are  friends  of  Jesus  we  cannot  be 
ashamed  of  him.  Jesus  spoke  in  strong  words 
concerning  those  who  were  ashamed  of  him.  He 
said,  "Whosoever  shall  be  ashamed  of  me  and  of  my 
words  .  .  .  the  Son  of  man  also  shall  be  ashamed  of 
him."  A  young  student  who  had  lived  a  selfish 
Christian  life,  without  openly  acknowledging  Jesus, 
said  on  his  deathbed,  "I  am  not  afraid  to  die,  but 
I  am  ashamed." 

All  life  must  express  itself.  The  sun  must  shine 
and  the  river  flow.  The  flame  that  is  smothered 
dies.  The  life  that  is  denied  expression  disappears, 
and  it  is  for  this  reason  that  faith  and  confession 
are  placed  side  by  side  in  the  gospel.     The  Apostle 

29 


30  MY  FIRST  COMMUNION 

Paul  said:  "If  thou  shalt  confess  with  thy  mouth 
Jesus  as  Lord,  and  shalt  believe  in  thy  heart  that 
God  raised  him  from  the  dead,  thou  shalt  be  saved : 
For  with  the  heart  man  believeth  unto  righteous- 
ness; and  with  the  mouth  confession  is  made  unto 
salvation." 

There  are  various  ways  of  confessing  Christ.  We 
confess  him  when  we  take  our  places  publicly  beside 
those  who  love  him.  Those  who  call  themselves 
Christians  meet  together  for  fellowship  and  worship, 
and  wherever  they  meet  there  is  found  the  Christian 
church.  The  Church  is  not  the  building,  but  the 
people  who  worship  in  the  building.  Even  if  they 
worshiped  in  the  open  air  they  would  still  form  a 
church.  The  Church  is  the  Christian  people  who 
meet  together  for  wrorship.  Jesus  himself  said  that 
where  two  or  three  meet  together  he  is  in  the  midst. 
If  we  are  true  Christians  we  will  seek  the  fellowship 
of  those  who  love  the  Lord.  This  is  what  we  mean 
by  "joining  the  Church."  We  do  not  join  an  or- 
ganization, or  unite  with  a  building,  but  we  unite  our- 
selves to  those  who  love  the  Lord.  In  publicly 
uniting  with  the  Church  we  confess  our  Christian 
faith. 

The  great  act  of  confession  on  the  part  of 
Christians  is  the  celebration  of  the  Lord's  Supper. 
The  Communion  is  the  great  public  avowal  on  the 
part  of  the  Church  of  its  faith  in  Jesus.     Communion 


"  :m 


WHAT  IT  MEANS  TO  CONFESS  CHRIST        31 

moans  "common  life"  and  in  that  service  we  pro- 
claim  that  Christians  live  in  fellowship  with  one 
another  and  with  their  Lord.  Sometimes  this 
service  is  called  the  "sacrament."  This  is  not  a 
Bible  word,  but  it  is  a  word  of  deep  significance. 
The  "sacramentum"  was  the  oath  of  loyalty  to  the 
emperor  which  was  administered  to  Roman  soldiers, 
and  for  us  the  "sacrament"  means  that  we  have 
pledged  allegiance  to  Christ,  our  King.  Sometimes 
the  Communion  is  called  the  "Eucharist"  which  means 
"thanksgiving"  and  is  taken  from  the  words  used 
in  the  New  Testament,  "He  gave  thanks."  We 
speak  of  it  also  as  the  "Lord's  Supper."  It  is  the 
Lord  Jesus  who  invites  us  as  guests  to  his  table, 
and  there  we  confess  our  need  of  him  and  our  de- 
pendence upon  him.  We  receive  from  Christ's 
hands  our  spiritual  food.  He  is  the  Giver,  we  are 
the  recipients,  and  the  grace  which  comes  to  us 
comes  not  from  the  bread  or  the  wine,  but  through 
faith  in  him,  who  is  the  Giver  of  every  good  and 
perfect  gift. 


To  proclaim  ourselves  Christians  with  our  lips 
and  deny  Christ  in  our  lives  is  hypocrisy.  The  true 
confession  of  Christ  is  by  means  of  a  consistent 
Christian  life.  The  life  of  the  Christian  is  to  be  a 
living  epistle  to  be  read  by  all  men,  and  the  test  of 
Jesus  is  final:  "By  their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them." 
The  Christian  life  is  the  highest  type  of  life.     A 


32  MY  FIRST  COMMUNION 

Christian  should  be  a  better  student,  a  better 
brother,  a  better  sister,  a  better  son,  a  better 
daughter,  a  better  friend,  than  one  who  is  not  a 
Christian.  In  speaking  of  consistency  of  life, 
Emerson  once  said,  "What  you  are  stands  over  you 
the  while  and  thunders  so  that  I  cannot  hear  what 
you  say  to  the  contrary." 

We  should  confess  Christ  to  ourselves.  We  may 
accustom  ourselves  to  think  and  feel  and  act  as 
Christians.  We  can  hold  ourselves  to  our  best. 
When  we  are  tempted  to  do  or  to  say  anything 
unworthy,  we  can  assert  our  Christian  standing  to 
our  own  hearts:  "No,  I  cannot  do  it,  I  cannot  say 
it,  I  cannot  think  it,  I  cannot  desire  it;  I  am  a 
Christian."  Every  day,  and  many  times  a  day,  we 
can  say  to  ourselves,  "I  am  a  child  of  the  King; 
Jesus  is  my  Saviour;  I  cannot  deny  him;  I  am  a 
Christian."  We  can  choose  our  companions  and 
our  life  work  in  conformity  with  our  Christian 
faith.  It  is  a  wonderful  thing  to  confess  Christ  to 
ourselves,  and  to  determine  in  our  hearts  that  we 
shall  always  and  everywhere  be  loyal  to  him. 


CHAPTER  V 

WHAT  IT  MEANS  TO    BE    A    CHURCH    MEMBER 

IN  the  Apostles'  Creed  we  say,  "I  believe  in  the 
Holy  Catholic  Church."  The  word  "catholic" 
means  "universal"  and  describes  the  Church  of 
Christ  throughout  the  world.  The  Christian  Church 
is  divided  into  three  great  sections:  The  Roman 
Catholic,  the  Greek  Catholic,  and  the  Protestant. 
The  Protestant  Church  is  divided  into  many  de- 
nominations, such  as  the  Presbyterian,  the 
Methodist,  the  Episcopalian,  the  Baptist,  the 
Lutheran,  the  Congregational.  In  the  United  States 
there  are  at  least  twelve  separate  denominations 
classified  as  Presbyterian  in  creed  and  form  of  gov- 
ernment. 

Every  Christian  should  have  an  intelligent  under- 
standing as  to  what  Church  membership  means, 
and  every  Presbyterian  should  be  a  consistent  and 
an  informed  Church  member.  He  should  know  the 
things  for  which  the  Presbyterian  Church  stands. 
He  should  know  why  he  is  a  Presbyterian.  He 
should  know  both  the  creed  and  the  government  of 
his  Church. 

The  creed  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  is  "Calvi- 
nistic."     John  Calvin  was  a  great  scholar  and  Bible 

33 


*w 


34  MY  FIRST  COMMUNION 

student,  and  he  formulated  the  teaching  of  the  Bible 
into  a  consistent  system  of  theology.  This  system 
of  doctrine  found  expression  in  "The  Westminster 
Standards"  of  the  Presbyterian  Church:  "The 
Confession  of  Faith,"  "The  Larger  Catechism," 
and  "The  Shorter  Catechism,"  which  were  prepared 
during  the  seventeenth  century,  and  are  accepted 
by  this  Church  as  Standards  of  Doctrine  and  Govern- 
ment subordinate  to  the  Holy  Scriptures.  These 
Standards  have  been  slightly  revised  since  but  on  the 
whole  they  remain  substantially  the  same  as  when 
prepared.  A  "Brief  Statement  of  the  Reformed 
Faith"  which  was  adopted  by  the  Church  in  1902 
may  be  found  in  "The  Hymnal."  This  creed  has 
been  held  by  the  Waldenses  of  Italy,  the  Reformers 
of  Holland,  Germany,  and  Switzerland,  the  Puritans 
of  England,  the  Presbyterians  of  Scotland,  the 
Calvinists  of  Wales,  the  Huguenots  of  France,  and 
all  those  holding  the  Presbyterian  faith  in  all  the 
world. 

The  Roman  Catholic  Church  believes  in  the 
infallibility  of  the  Pope,  and  denies  that  there  is 
salvation  outside  of  that  Church.  The  Protestant 
Episcopal  Church,  like  the  Roman  Catholic,  be- 
lieves that  the  priestly  ordination  of  the  clergy  comes 
through  "an  uninterrupted  succession  of  bishops  and 
through  them  of  priests  and  deacons  in  the  Church," 
and   that    only    those    who    are    so    ordained    are 


WHAT  TT  MEAN'S  TO  BE  A  CHURCH  MEMBER     Sfi 

qualified  to  administer  the  sacraments,  and  that 
this  qualification  in  regard  to  "apostolic succession" 

does  not  belong  to  ministers  of  other  Protestant 
Churches.  The  Baptist  (  hurch  administers  baptism 
to  adults  only  and  by  immersion  only.  The  Pres- 
byterians administer  baptism  by  the  sprinkling  of 
water,  yet  hold  that  immersion  also  is  valid  and  that 
children  of  Christian  homes  are  to  be  baptized. 
In  the  past  the  Methodist  Church  and  the  Pres- 
byterian Church  were  separated  in  their  teaching 
concerning  the  doctrine  of  election,  the  Presbyterian 
Church  asserting  the  sovereignty  of  God  in  the 
bestowal  of  the  grace  that  accompanies  salvation;  the 
Methodist  Church  holding  to  the  freedom  and  power 
of  the  human  heart  to  resist  divine  grace.  Many 
controversies  that  once  divided  the  Protestant 
Church  are  no  longer  considered  of  importance, 
and  in  essentials  the  Christian  Church  was  never 
so  united  as  it  is  now  and  never  more  loyal  to  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

The  Presbyterian  Church  has  always  stood 
unreservedly  for  the  sovereignty  of  God  in  the 
bestowal  of  grace,  the  supremacy  of  the  Scriptures, 
the  right  of  the  people  to  rule  themselves,  the  freedom 
and  responsibility  of  man,  the  atoning  sacrifice  of 
Jesus,  and  the  obligation  to  preach  the  gospel  to 
the  whole  world.  The  terms  of  Church  membership, 
however,    are    simple.     While    officers    give    their 


36  MY  FIRST  COMMUNION 

allegiance  to  the  creed  of  the  Church  as  outlined 
in  the  Standards,  the  door  of  entrance  into  the 
membership  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  is  as  wide 
as  the  door  of  heaven  itself.  In  the  ''Brief  Statement 
of  the  Reformed  Faith"  the  Presbyterian  Church 
has  written  down  these  notable  words. 

"We  receive  to  our  communion  all  who 
confess  and  obey  Christ  as  their  divine 
Lord  and  Saviour,  and  we  hold  fellowship 
with  all  believers  in  him." 

A  distinguishing  mark  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  is  its  government.  Generally  speaking 
there  are  four  types  of  Church  government:  The 
Papal  or  Roman  Catholic;  the  Episcopal;  the  Con- 
gregational, and  the  Presbyterian.  The  Roman 
Catholic  looks  to  the  Pope  of  Rome  as  its  supreme 
head.  It  corresponds  in  civil  government  to  an 
absolute  monarchy.  The  Episcopal  form  of  govern- 
ment looks  to  control  by  diocesan  bishops  and  is 
followed  in  America  by  the  Protestant  Episcopal  and 
in  a  modified  form  by  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Churches.  The  Congregational  or  Independent  form 
of  government  holds  each  congregation  supreme  in 
itself,  and  is  followed  by  Congregationalists,  Baptists, 
and  Disciples  of  Christ. 

The  Presbyterian  Church  follows  a  representative 
form  of  government  and  is  similar  in  its  organization 
to   the   government   of   the   United   States.     It   is 


WHAT  IT  MEANS  TO   BE  A   (III  RCH    MEMBER    :*7 


democratic  and  representative.  There  are  four 
courts  of  the  Church:  The  church  session,  the 
presbytery,    the  synod,  and  the  General  Assembly. 

The  session  consists  of  the  p;tsior  and  the  elders 
of  the  local  church  chosen  by  the  vote  of  the  members 
of  the  church.  The  church  session  maintains  "the 
spiritual  government  of  the  congregation."  It 
has  power  "to  receive  members  into  the  church;  to 
admonish,  to  rebuke,  to  suspend  or  exclude  from 
the  sacraments,  those  who  are  found  to  deserve 
censure;  to  concert  the  best  measures  for  promoting 
the  spiritual  interests  of  the  congregation;  to 
supervise  the  Sabbath  school  and  the  various 
societies  or  agencies  of  the  congregation;  and  to 
appoint  delegates  to  the  higher  judicatories  of  the 
Church." 

The  presbytery  is  composed  of  all  ministers  and 
one  elder  from  each  of  the  churches  in  a  certain 
district.  It  is  the  unit  of  authority  in  the  Presby- 
terian Church.  It  deals  with  all  matters  brought 
before  it  from  church  sessions,  examines  and  ordains 
candidates  for  the  ministry;  installs  and  removes 
pastors;  safeguards  the  purity  and  peace,  and 
watches  over  the  welfare,  of  the  churches  under  its 
care. 

The  synod  is  composed  of  the  presbyteries  in 
a   certain   area,    usually   within   the   limits   of   the 


38  MY  FIRST  COMMUNION 

state.  We  speak,  for  example,  of  the  Presbytery 
of  New  York,  which  is  made  up  of  the  churches 
within  the  radius  of  New  York  City.  The  Synod 
of  New  York,  however,  is  formed  by  the  union  of  all 
the  presbyteries  within  New  York  State.  The  synod 
reviews  the  records  of  the  presbyteries  within  its 
bounds,  and  oversees  the  work  of  the  presbyteries 
under  its  care. 

The  General  Assembly  is  the  highest  court  of 
the  Church.  It  consists  of  an  equal  number  of 
ministers  and  elders  chosen  by  each  presbytery  in 
proportion  to  its  membership.  The  Assembly  meets 
once  a  year  and  passes  decision  on  all  matters 
brought  to  it  by  presbyteries  or  synods.  The  As- 
sembly cannot  alter  the  creed  or  form  of  government 
of  the  Church  without  the  approval  of  the  majority 
of  the  presbyteries.  We  see  from  this  that  the 
presbytery  is  the  unit  of  authority.  This  is  why 
our  Church  is  called  Presbyterian. 

The  Presbyterian  Church  member  should  support 
his  church,  both  in  its  local  expenses  and  in  its 
benevolent  and  missionary  program.  He  should 
consider  it  a  privilege  to  be  able  to  carry  forward 
the  work  of  his  Church.  He  should  ask  himself 
the  question,  "What  kind  of  church  would  my 
church  be,  if  all  the  members  were  just  like  me?'* 
There   is   work   within   the  local  church  for  each 


WHAT  IT  MEANS  TO  BE  A  CIH  RCH  MEMBER    39 

member,  and  each  should  determine  where  his  place 

is.  It  may  be  in  the  Sunday  school,  or  the  Young 
People's  Society,  or  in  connection  with  the  women's 
work,  or  the  men's  work,  or  the  missionary  and 
social  service  program  of  the  church. 

Every  Church  mem  her  should  carry  not  only 
his  share  of  the  work  of  the  Church  but  also  of  the 
financial  burden  of  the  Church.  One  of  the  joys 
of  Church  membership  is  in  sharing  with  others  the 
support  of  the  work  of  the  Church,  and  it  is  the 
duty  of  every  member  of  the  Church  to  discover 
the  method  by  which  the  Church  carries  forward 
its  local  and  benevolent  work  and  participate  and 
share  in  that  program. 

The  Presbyterian  Church  carries  on  a  nation-wide 
and  a  world-wide  missionary  program.  The  mem- 
bers of  the  Presbyterian  Church  are  organized  into 
nearly  ten  thousand  congregations.  In  the  Sunday 
schools  of  these  churches  nearly  a  million  and  a 
half  pupils  are  enrolled.  The  program  for  the 
enlargement  of  the  missionary  work  of  the  Church 
calls  for  a  large  increase.  The  Church  has  at 
present  nine  benevolent  and  missionary  Boards, 
and  several  permanent  committees,  which  carry  on 
the  work  of  the  Church  at  home  and  abroad.  These 
Presbyterian  agencies  are:  The  Board  of  Home 
Missions;  The  Woman's  Board  of  Home  Missions; 
the    Board    of    Foreign    Missions;    The    Board    of 


40  MY  FIRST  COMMUNION 

Publication  and  Sabbath  School  Work;  The  Board 
of  Church  Erection;  The  Board  of  Ministerial 
Relief  and  Sustentation;  The  Board  of  Missions  for 
Freedmen;  The  General  Board  of  Education;  The 
Board  of  Temperance  and  Moral  Welfare;  The  Ex- 
ecutive Commission;  The  Permanent  Committee  on 
Evangelism;  The  Permanent  Committee  on  Vacancy 
and  Supply;  The  Permanent  Committee  on  Men's 
Work;  and  The  Committee  on  Sabbath  Observance. 
Every  Presbyterian  should  be  proud  of  the  work 
which  is  being  done  and  should  rejoice  in  the  joy 
of  participation.  Only  to  those  who  give  themselves 
to  the  Church  in  loving  loyalty  and  in  constant 
service  will  the  Church  contribute  all  that  it  has 
to  give. 


ft/ 


CHAPTER  VI 

GROWING    IN    THE    CHRISTIAN    LIFE 

THE  Japanese  have  cultivated  the  art  of  growing 
great  forest  trees  in  flower  pots.  Some  of 
these  dwarf  trees  are  a  century  old  and  yet  are  only 
two  or  three  feet  high.  The  gardener  instead  of 
growing  trees  at  their  best  takes  pains  to  keep  them 
little.  They  are  repressed,  crippled,  stunted, 
starved,  dwarfed.  God  meant  them  to  be  giant 
trees  of  the  forest.  Instead  of  giant  trees  they  are 
dwarfs. 

It  is  often  so  with  Christians.  God  means  that 
we  shall  "attain  unto  the  unity  of  the  faith,  and  of 
the  knowledge  of  the  Son  of  God,  unto  a  full-grown 
man,  unto  the  measure  of  the  stature  of  the  fulness 
of  Christ."  Instead  of  growing  and  becoming 
perfect  we  often  become  repressed  and  dwarfed.  God 
wishes  us  to  grow,  to  grow  strong,  to  grow  beautiful, 
to  grow  useful.  Peter  admonished  the  Christians 
of  his  day  to  "grow  in  the  grace  and  knowledge  of 
.  .  .  Jesus  Christ."  Salvation  is  ever  going  forward 
unto  perfection.  In  the  language  of  the  New  Tes- 
tament we  are  "being  saved."  God  wants  us  to  be 
stalwart    and    not    dwarfed    Christians.     We    are 

41 


miMiuE 


42  MY  FIRST  COMMUNION 

called  upon  to  add  to  our  faith,  virtue;  and  to  virtue, 
knowledge;  and  to  knowledge,  self-control;  and  to 
self-control,  patience;  and  to  patience,  godliness;  and 
to  godliness,  brotherly  kindness;  and  to  brotherly 
kindness,  love. 

Jesus  said,  "Consider  the  lilies  of  the  field,  how 
they  grow."  "They  are  found  in  their  proper 
place.  They  are  where  they  were  meant  to  be,  if 
they  are  growing;  not  only  so,  the  flowers  are  working 
in  harmony  with  great  laws.  Every  flower  draws 
its  beauty  from  the  sun:  the  flower  roots  itself  in 
dark  places,  and  prays  with  open  face  for  the  great 
light,  and  holds  itself  out  with  gracious  willingness 
to  catch  every  drop  of  dew  that  it  can  hold.  So  we 
must  be  in  our  proper  spheres,  in  our  right  relations: 
we  must  keep  the  company  of  life  and  nature  as 
God  has  established  it,  then  we  shall  truly,  with  a 
wide  and  healthy  wisdom,  behold  the  fowls  and 
and  consider  the  lilies."  It  will  help  us  if  we  are 
careful  to  keep  our  lives  in  touch  with  the  great 
Christian  laws  under  which  growth  is  made  possible. 

The  first  of  these  laws  is  the  law  of  public  worship. 
The  growing  Christian  is  a  worshiping  Christian. 
The  trees  of  the  forest  have  intertwined  branches 
because  they  have  interlocked  roots.  It  is  for  this 
reason  the  New  Testament  warns  Christians  not  to 
forsake  the  assembling  of  themselves  together.  The 
voice  of  praise,  the  common  worship,  the  fellowship 


GROWING  IN  THE  CHRISTIAN  LIFE  43 

of  confession,  the  sacred  hush  of  the  heart,  are  tlie 
a  f  mosphere  in  which  life  unfolds.     In  the  sacraments 

we  are  fed  with  the  Bread  that  cometh  down  from 
heaven.  A  Christian  who  neglects  public  worship 
dwarfs  his  soul  and  makes  growth  impossible.  When 
the  Sabbath  came,  Jesus  was  found  in  his  place  in 
the  synagogue.  He  might  easily  have  excused 
himself,  and  could  have  discovered  many  reasons 
why  he  should  absent  himself  from  the  synagogue 
of  his  day.  The  synagogue  of  his  day  was  bankrupt, 
but  Jesus  had  formed  the  habit  of  churchgoing  in 
his  childhood  and  maintained  it  to  the  end  of  his 
life.  Whatever  young  people  miss  in  life,  they 
should  not  miss  the  service  for  worship.  Be  in 
your  place  before  the  service  begins.  "Study  to  be 
quiet."  Learn  how  to  pray,  avoid  criticism, 
learn  to  listen  to  God.  Worship  is  an  art.  In  it 
we  are  not  spectators;  we  are  participants.  Toward 
the  end  of  his  life,  Theodore  Roosevelt  wrote  down 
the  following  reasons  for  churchgoing: 

1.  In  this  actual  world,  a  churchless 
community,  a  community  where  men  have 
abandoned  and  scoffed  at  or  ignored  their 
religious  needs,  is  a  community  on  the  rapid 
down  grade. 

2.  Church  work  and  church  attendant- 
mean  the  cultivation  of  the  habit  of  feeling 
some  responsibility  for  others. 


44 


MY  FIRST  COMMUNION 


ITS 


3.  There  are  enough  holidays  for  most 
of  us.  Sundays  differ  from  other  holidays 
in  the  fact  that  there  are  fifty-two  of  them 
every  year — therefore  on  Sundays  go  to 
church. 

4.  Yes,  I  know  all  the  excuses.  I  know 
that  one  can  worship  the  Creator  in  a  grove 
of  trees,  or  by  a  running  brook,  or  in  a  man's 
own  house,  just  as  well  as  in  a  church.  But 
I  also  know,  as  a  matter  of  cold  fact,  the 
average  man  does  not  thus  worship. 

5.  He  may  not  hear  a  good  sermon  at 
church.  He  will  hear  a  sermon  by  a  good 
man  who,  with  his  good  wife,  is  engaged  all 
the  week  in  making  hard  lives  a  little  easier. 

6.  He  will  listen  to  and  take  part  in 
reading  some  beautiful  passages  from  the 
Bible.  And  if  he  is  not  familiar  with  the 
Bible,  he  has  suffered  a  loss. 

7.  He  will  take  part  in  singing  some 
good  hymns. 

8.  He  will  meet  and  nod  or  speak  to  good, 
quiet  neighbors.  He  will  come  away 
feeling  a  little  more  charitable  toward  all 
the  world,  even  toward  those  excessively 
foolish  young  men  who  regard  church- 
going  as  a  soft  performance. 

9.  I  advocate  a  man's  joining  in  church 
work  for  the  sake  of  showing  his  faith  by 
his  work. 


rtirTTm^V*  '^tV 


GROWING  IN  THE  CHRISTIAN    LIFE 

The  second  law  is  the  law  of  prayer.    Noll. 

else  will  give  tone  to  our  lives  like  private  prayer. 
Prayer  will  either  kill  our  sin,  or  sin  will  kill  our 
prayer.  Prayer  is  communion  with  God.  It  is  the 
expression  of  religious  life.  It  is  the  bond  that 
unites  us  to  the  unseen.  In  its  true  sense  it  is  not 
the  effort  to  bend  God's  will  to  meet  ours,  but  the 
surrender  of  our  wills  to  his.  When  he  was  ill  in 
Ameriea,  Rudyard  Kipling,  in  the  delirium  of  fever, 
murmured  his  childhood  prayer,  "Now  I  lay  me 
down  to  sleep."  The  nurse  who  had  bent  over 
him  to  catch  his  words,  drew  back  saying,  "Oh, 
I  thought  you  wanted  something."  He  opened  his 
eyes  and  said:  "I  do  want  something,  I  want  my 
heavenly  Father.  He  only  can  help  me."  They 
that  wait  upon  God  shall  renew  their  strength. 

The  third  law  is  the  law  of  Bible  study.  In 
prayer  we  speak  to  God.  When  we  read  the  Bible 
we  permit  God  to  speak  wTith  us.  Bible  study  is 
the  great  maker  of  character.  WTe  are  what  our 
aspirations  and  our  friendships  are.  In  the  Bible 
we  keep  close  company  with  the  great  spirits  of  the 
religious  world,  and  through  their  lives  and  ideals 
we  are  lifted  up  and  made  strong.  Above  all  we 
hold  fellowship  there  with  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord  and 
Master,  and  the  words  which  he  speaks  unto  us 
are  words  of  life. 

Speaking  of  the  influence  of  the  Bible  upon  his 


46  MY  FIRST  COMMUNION 

life,  John  Ruskin  said,  "I  have  just  opened  my 
oldest  (in  use)  Bible  .  .  .  Yellow,  now,  with  age,  and 
flexible,  but  not  unclean,  with  much  use,  except 
that  the  lower  corners  of  the  pages  at  8th  of  1st 
Kings,  and  32d  Deuteronomy,  are  worn  some- 
what thin  and  dark,  the  learning  of  these  two 
chapters  having  cost  me  much  pains.  My 
mother's  list  of  the  chapters  with  which,  thus 
learned,  she  established  my  soul  in  life,  has  just 
fallen  out  of  it.  I  will  take  what  indulgence  the 
incurious  reader  can  give  me,  for  printing  the  list 
thus  accidentally  occurrent:  Exodus  15  and  20; 
II  Samuel  1;  I  Kings  8;  Psalm  23,  32,  90,  91,  103, 
112,  119,  139;  Proverbs  2,  3,  8,  12;  Isaiah  58; 
Matthew  5,  6,  7;  Acts  26;  I  Corinthians  13,  15; 
James  4;  Revelation  5,  6. 

"And  truly,  though  I  have  picked  up  the  elements 
of  a  little  further  knowledge.  .  .  I  count  very 
confidently  the  most  precious,  and,  on  the  whole, 
the  one  essential  part  of  my  education. " 

Every  Christian  should  strive  earnestly  not  only 
to  create  but  to  establish  in  his  life  habits  of 
private  Bible  study. 

The  fourth  law  is  the  law  of  expression.  One  of 
the  great  students  of  psychology  has  said,  "That 
which  is  not  expressed  dies.  If  there  is,  therefore, 
within  one   any  desire,  thought,  feeling,  or  purpose, 


GROWING  IN  THE  CHRISTIAN  LIFE  47 

that  he  would  kill,  he  must  simply  deny  it  all  ex- 
pression; it  will  die — though  a  merely  negative 
method  here,  too,  may  not  wholly  succeed.  On  the 
other  hand,  if  there  is  anything  he  wishes  to  have 
live,  he  must  express  it.  If  we  would  have  our 
purposes  mean  anything,  we  must  put  them  into 
acts."  The  Christian  life  finds  expression  in  a 
thousand  different  ways,  in  the  home,  in  the  church, 
on  the  street,  and  in  the  market  place. 

The  Christian  life  expresses  itself  in  witness-bearing. 
Among  his  last  words,  Jesus  said  to  his  disciples, 
"Ye  shall  be  my  witnesses."  If  our  religion  means 
anything  to  us,  we  ought  to  feel  that  it  may  mean 
just  as  much  to  others,  and  it  should  be  the  burden 
of  our  hearts  to  try  to  bring  those  we  love  and  those 
we  know  into  fellowship  with  Jesus  Christ,  our 
Lord.  A  little  boy,  whose  father  was  a  physician, 
was  asked  as  to  the  whereabouts  of  his  father.  The 
lad  replied,  "I  do  not  know,  but  he  is  helping 
somewhere."  The  Christian  is  always  helping  some- 
where, and  above  all  he  is  helping  to  bring  others 
to  Christ. 

The  fifth  law  is  the  law  of  stewardship.  We  are 
stewards.  Sooner  or  later  we  must  give  an  account 
to  God  of  our  stewardship.  We  hold  our  lives  in 
trust  for  God.  Time  and  talent  and  property  are 
all  held  in  trust.  To  give  of  our  means  for  the 
furthering  of  the  gospel  requires  serious  thought. 


48  MY  FIRST  COMMUNION 

More  is  required  of  us  than  to  give.  We  must  give 
wisely.  The  New  Testament  sets  before  us  definite 
rules  for  Christian  stewardship:  "Upon  the  first 
day  of  the  week  let  each  one  of  you  lay  by  him  in 
store,  as  he  may  prosper."  In  this  great  verse  the 
apostle  laid  down  three  principles.  The  first  of 
these  is  the  principle  of  personal  responsibility. 
No  exception  is  made  for  anyone.  One  of  the  duties 
of  every  Church  member  is  to  carry  his  share  of 
responsibility.  The  second  principle  is  that  of 
system;  "Upon  the  first  day  of  the  week."  The 
third  is  the  principle  of  proportion;  "As  he  may 
prosper." 

The  rule  in  the  Old  Testament  was  to  give  one 
tenth  of  one's  income  to  the  Lord.  This  is  a  wise 
and  helpful  plan,  and  among  Christians,  many  of 
the  most  generous  are  those  who  follow  the  practice 
of  tithing.  The  words  of  William  E.  Gladstone, 
the  great  English  statesman,  who  in  his  lifetime  gave 
away  nearly  half  a  million  dollars,  are  exceedingly 
interesting:  "In  regard  to  money,  there  is  a  great 
advantage  in  its  methodical  use.  Especially  is  it 
wise  to  dedicate  a  certain  portion  of  our  means  to 
purposes  of  charity  and  religion,  and  this  is  more 
easily  begun  in  youth  than  in  after  life.  The 
greatest  advantage  of  making  a  little  fund  of  this 
kind  is,  that  when  we  are  asked  to  give,  competition 
is  not  between  self  on  the  one  hand  and  any  charity 


GROWING  IN  THE  CHRISTIAN  LIFE  4fl 

on  the  oilier,  but  between  the  different  purposes  of 
religion  and  charity  with  one  another,  among  which 
we  ought  to  make  the  most  careful  choice.  It  is 
desirable  that  the  tenth  of  our  means  be  dedicated 
to  God,  and  it  tends  to  bring  a  blessing  on  the  rest. 
No  one  can  tell  the  richness  of  the  blessings  that 
eome  to  those  who  thus  honor  the  Lord  with  their 
substance." 

These  are  some  of  the  laws  by  which  the  Christian 
will  grow  in  grace  and  in  spiritual  helpfulness. 
They  are  means  of  grace  to  those  who  will  follow 
them.  The  aim  and  goal  of  the  Christian  life  is 
to  be  like  Christ.  The  habits  of  his  life  should 
become  the  habits  of  our  lives,  and  to  become 
like  him  our  fondest  hope.  "Now  are  we  children 
of  God,  and  it  is  not  yet  made  manifest  what  we 
shall  be.  We  know  that,  if  he  shall  be  manifested, 
we  shall  be  like  him;  for  we  shall  see  him  even  as 
he  is." 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE  TRUTH  ABOUT  TEMPTATION 

ONE  of  the  world's  religious  leaders  has  said 
that  there  is  only  one  subject  worth  talking 
about  to  young  people,  and  that  is  the  subject  of 
temptation.  When  you  come  to  think  of  it,  that 
is  the  only  subject  worth  talking  about  to  anyone 
whether  he  is  young  or  old,  for  in  the  last  analysis 
life  is  just  a  battle,  a  struggle,  a  contest,  in  which 
we  succeed  or  fail.  We  speak  of  the  battle  of  life, 
the  fight  for  character,  the  struggle  for  existence, 
and  it  means  that  day  by  day,  and  year  by  year, 
we  are  face  to  face  with  the  testing  of  life  which 
assumes  the  form  of  temptation. 

The  first  fact  about  temptation  is  that  it  holds  in 
its  keeping  the  element  of  surprise.  "Let  him  that 
thinketh  he  standeth  take  heed  lest  he  fall."  Men 
fail  as  a  rule  where  they  are  strongest  and  least  on 
their  guard.  Temptation  changes  its  form  but  the 
element  of  surprise  never  disappears.  The  Old 
Testament  representation  of  temptation  as  a  serpent, 
wily,  deceptive,  but  very  alert,  is  true  to  the  facts 
as  we  know  them.  Henry  Drummond  says  that 
when  he  went  to  Africa  he  thought  he  would  escape 
the  temptations  which  beset  him  in  Scotland,  but 

50 


gj) 


THE  TRUTH  ABOUT  TEMPTATION 


51 


he  found  that  even  in  Africa,  in  the  very  heart  of 
the  dark  continent,  the  old  tempationa  which  had 
dogged  liis  steps  in  Edinburgh,  lifted  the  door  of 
his  tent  and  looked  him  in  the  face.  No  one  of  us 
knows  the  secret  struggles,  the  unworthy  surrenders, 
the  silent  victories,  which  go  on  in  the  lives  of  others. 
We  see  the  failure  sometimes  but  we  do  not  know 
the  long  fight  against  the  temptation.  It  is  the 
part  of  wisdom  to  remember  that  the  strongest 
line  of  our  life  may  be  the  very  place  where  the  enemy 
may  break  through.  The  attack  comes  where  we 
least  expect  it. 

The  second  fact  about  temptation  is  that  it  is 
a  human  trait.  Temptation  is  common  to  our 
humanity.  Temptation  grows  out  of  the  fact  that 
we  are  human.  We  cannot  run  away  from  it  any 
more  than  we  can  run  away  from  our  own  shadows. 
St.  Anthony  found  in  the  desert  the  same  tempations 
that  possessed  his  heart  in  the  great  city.  We  carry 
our  own  temptations  with  us.  The  prodigal  son 
did  not  need  to  travel  by  train  or  carriage  to  reach 
the  far  country.  The  far  country  could  be  dis- 
covered in  his  own  heart,  in  his  own  thoughts,  and 
in  his  own  imagination. 

There  is  nothing  new,  therefore,  about  any  temp- 
tation that  overtakes  any  one  of  us.  The  temp- 
tations that  dog  our  steps  are  as  old  as  the  race,  as 
old  as  the  ages.     The  temptations  that  lure  men  on 


52  MY  FIRST  COMMUNION 

to-day  are  the  very  temptations  that  the  men  of 
Babylon  and  Egypt  and  Greece  and  Rome  faced 
centuries  ago.  It  is  not  out  of  conditions  that 
temptations  grow  but  out  of  the  heart  of  man. 
There  the  victory  must  be  won,  and  there  the 
triumph  must  be  achieved. 

But  in  this  there  is  encouragement  and  hope. 
There  is  nothing  exceptional  about  your  condition 
whatever  it  may  be.  Others  have  traveled  the  road 
that  you  find  so  difficult  for  your  feet.  There  is 
nothing  peculiar  or  unique  about  your  moral 
problems.  Others  have  faced  the  same  allurements 
to  doubt,  to  indulgence,  and  to  evil.  Other  men 
have  passed  over  the  face  of  the  same  precipice 
and  found  a  footing  there.  Other  men  have  threaded 
the  raging  rapids  and  avoided  the  rocks.  Where 
they  have  gone  you  can  go,  too.  This  is  the  timeless 
battle  that  knows  no  armistice.  In  the  last  analysis 
every  man  must  fight  and  win  his  battle  alone. 

The  third  fact  about  temptation  is  that  it  has  a 
meaning.  There  is  an  intelligent  purpose  about  it. 
It  is  under  control.  "God  is  faithful,  who  will  not 
suffer  you  to  be  tempted  above  that  ye  are  able." 
Temptation  is  not  a  high-powered  car  in  the  hands 
of  a  child,  but  is  a  high-powered  car  in  the  hands  of 
a  skilled  mechanic  who  knows  how  to  guide  it  wisely 
and  well.  God  does  not  originate  the  temptation 
but  he  guides  and  controls  it.     There  is  no  other 


THE  TRUTH  ABOUT  TEMPTATION  .53 

way  for  God  than  to  trust  us  and  test  us.     Like  the 

athlete  we  must  struggle  against  soin«*  resistance  if 
we  are  to  develop  our  moral  muscle.  Temptation 
is  like  the  sand  on  the  sliding  car  track  which  gives 
I  be  wheel  its  grip.  It  is  like  the  kit  on  the  soldier's 
back  which  gives  him  the  power  to  endure.  It  is 
like  the  lion  in  the  way  opposing  our  progress, 
past  which  we  must  go  if  we  are  to  gain  the  Palace 
Beautiful. 

Temptation  is  just  the  testing  of  life.  It  is  neutral 
and  goes  with  us  to  the  very  end,  to  be  turned  into 
victory  or  to  turn  us  into  weakness.  We  do  not 
grow  out  of  it  even  when  we  grow  stronger  and  wiser 
and  cleaner  in  thought  and  life.  We  may  grow  out 
of  the  temptations  that  once  beset  us,  but  we  shall 
then  meet  with  temptations  in  more  subtle  and 
sinister  forms.  Temptation  met  Jesus  on  the  thres- 
hold of  his  life,  and,  although  he  mastered  it,  it 
left  him  only  "for  a  season."  It  looked  him  in  the 
face  when  he  hung  upon  the  cross.  When  a  man 
becomes  a  Christian  he  does  not  escape  temptation. 
Jesus  was  made  perfect  through  suffering.  Tempta- 
tion is  the  proving  of  character,  the  tempering  of 
life  to  nobler  issues. 

The  fourth  fact  about  temptation  is  that  it  is 
powerless.  Temptation  is  not  a  blind  alley.  With 
every  temptation  there  is  a  way  of  escape.  The 
road  is  not  closed  but  opens  out  into  liberty  and 


54  MY  FIRST  COMMUNION 

freedom.  In  the  old  days  the  Spartans  whispered 
to  each  other  that  the  battle  could  never  be  too 
fierce,  nor  the  way  too  rough,  nor  the  struggle  too 
severe,  for  always  there  was  a  way  of  escape  and  the 
door  stood  open.  They  meant,  of  course,  that  they 
need  never  be  beaten,  for  if  the  struggle  became  too 
hard,  suicide  offered  a  way  out.  Paul,  however, 
was  thinking  of  another  open  door,  not  the  open 
door  of  defeat,  but  the  door  of  escape,  of  salvation, 
and  of  victory.  It  relieves  the  pressure  and  the 
strain  of  life  to  know  that  victory  lies  beyond  the 
struggle.  Physicians  who  deal  with  nervousness, 
state  that  the  first  and  fundamental  condition  is  to 
lodge  in  the  patient's  mind  the  assurance  that 
nervousness  is  curable.  They  concentrate  their 
efforts  upon  making  this  fact  perfectly  clear,  and 
by  repeated  assertions  that  nervousness  is  curable 
they  arouse  the  spirit  of  hope  and  faith.  Out  of 
every  temptation  there  is  a  way  of  escape.  There 
is  an  open  door  and  a  path  that  leads  into  peace. 

The  Duke  of  Wellington  once  wished  to  lead  his 
forces  across  a  wide  and  bridgeless  river.  Standing 
upon  a  hillside,  he  took  his  field  glass  and  followed 
the  course  of  the  river  until  he  discovered  on  one 
side  a  village  and  opposite  that  village  a  little  town. 
"There  must  be  some  communication  between  those 
two  places,"  he  said  as  he  lowered  his  glass,  and, 
leading  his  forces  down,  he  found  that  the  river 


■^-—JTTJJ 


Iff 


THE  TRUTH  ABOUT  TEMPTATION  55 

could  be  crossed  at  that  place.  Let  us  be  sure  that 
\here  is  some  path,  some  way  of  escape,  out  of  the 
fears  that  press  upon  us.  The  way  of  escape  is 
never  closed.  This  fact  about  temptation  holds  in 
its  keeping  the  promise  of  victory. 

Let  us  be  sure  that  God  will  not  fail  us,  for  he  is 
faithful  and  will  not  suffer  us  to  be  defeated.  He 
will  not  stand  aside.  His  sword  will  not  be  sheathed 
until  we  find  deliverance.  But  let  us  not  fight 
alone.  Our  will  power  is  just  as  weak  as  we  are 
ourselves,  and  unless  the  eternal  God  undergirds 
and  re-enforces  our  wills,  we  shall  be  overcome  and 
vanquished  in  the  struggle. 

Herein  lies  our  hope.  Let  us  not  fight  alone. 
The  eternal  God  is  our  refuge.  Call  to  mind  the 
old  story  of  Ulysses  who  passed  the  sirens  with  their 
fascinating  music  because  he  was  tied  to  the  mast. 
That  is  one  way  of  overcoming  temptation.  You 
may  sign  your  declaration  of  independence  in  your 
own  blood,  but  your  resolve  and  your  endurance  will 
depend  upon  your  own  weak  will.  Call  to  mind  the 
sequel  of  that  classic  story  and  remember  how  the 
Argonauts  passed  the  rocks  and  the  sirens  with  all 
their  allurements  because  they  had  on  board  one 
who  could  sing  a  sweeter  song  than  the  sirens  ever 
knew.  Charmed  by  the  music  of  Orpheus  the 
bewitching  music  of  the  sirens  lost  its  charm. 
You,  too,  may  call  to  your  side  One  who  sings  the 


56  MY  FIRST  COMMUNION 

song  of  victory,  who  fought  the  fight  and  who 
overcame,  and  who  stands  in  the  center  of  life 
victorious.  Temptations  lose  their  power  when  he 
is  nigh.  He  came  to  proclaim  release  to  the  captives, 
to  set  at  liberty  them  that  are  bound.  He  is  the 
Master  of  men;  with  him  defeat  is  impossible.  Give 
yourself  to  him  in  a  glad  surrender  and  discover  for 
yourself  that  he  is  able  to  keep  you  from  falling  and 
to  present   you  faultless,  when  the  fight  is  done. 


SJrfr* 


CHAPTER  VIII 

LOYAL  UNTO  THE  LAST 

TO  be  loyal  to  one's  covenanted  promise  is  the 
first  mark  of  true  nobility.  No  nation  and  no 
individual  can  violate  a  pledged  promise  without 
disaster  and  ulimate  ruin.  Life  may  be  surrendered, 
but  truth  and  fidelity,  righteousness  and  loyalty, 
will  endure  throughout  eternity.  Recall  to  mind  a 
familiar  page  in  classic  history.  Regulus  was  a 
prisoner  of  Rome's  ancient  enemy,  Carthage.  He 
was  sent  by  the  Carthaginians  to  Rome  to  persuade 
his  people  to  make  peace.  He  took  an  oath  that  if 
peace  were  not  declared  he  would  return.  He  went 
to  Rome  and  instead  of  pleading  for  peace  urged  his 
people  to  continue  the  war.  The  senate  and  the 
high  priest  absolved  him  from  his  bond  saying  that 
it  had  been  extorted  from  him  and  was  not  binding. 
Regulus  replied:  "I  am  a  Roman.  Would  you  dis- 
honor me?  I  have  sworn  to  return.  It  is  my  duty 
to  go.  Let  the  gods  take  care  of  the  rest."  He 
returned  to  Carthage,  where  he  was  tortured  and 
put  to  death. 

God  is  a  holy  God.     He  is  jealous  of  his  name  and 
his  honor.     He  is  God  and  will  not  lie.     He  is  a' 
covenant-keeping     God,     keeping    covenant    from 

57 


58  MY  FIRST  COMMUNION 

generation  to  generation.  "My  covenant  will  I 
not  break,  nor  alter  the  thing  that  is  gone  out  of  my 
lips.  Once  have  I  sworn  by  my  holiness:  I  will  not 
lie."  If  you  follow  the  history  of  that  covenant 
you  will  strike  the  path  that  leads  to  Calvary  and 
the  cross.  The  burden  of  man's  broken  covenant 
fell  upon  God.  Man's  treachery  made  God's  burden 
and  the  cross  of  Christ.  He  suffered  the  just  for 
the  unjust,  the  innocent  for  the  guilty,  to  make 
reconciliation  for  the  sin  of  the  world.  We,  too, 
are  under  promise.  We  have  taken  our  sacramental 
oath  to  be  loyal.     Let  us  keep  faith  forever. 

1.  Let  us  keep  faith  with  ourselves.  A  Christian 
must  possess  a  fine  self-respect  and  keep  faith  with 
himself.  When  all  is  said  and  done  a  man  must 
live  with  himself.  He  must  keep  faith  with  the 
best  that  is  in  him,  if  he  is  to  have  fellowship  with 
himself.  He  must  be  true  to  the  divine  voice  within 
him.  He  must  be  loyal  to  his  own  high  calling  and 
to  the  dignity  that  is  his  as  a  child  of  God.  "Know 
ye  not  that  ye  are  a  temple  of  God  and  that  the 
Spirit  of  God  dwelleth  in  you?"  Respect  your 
divine  Guest.  We  read  that  Napoleon  once  stabled 
his  horses  in  Cologne  Cathedral.  We  instinctively 
resent  the  needless  desecration.  But  such  des- 
ecration is  pure  compared  with  the  life  that  gives  to 
evil  an  abiding  place.  Keep  your  heart  pure.  Be 
loyal  to  yourself. 


LOYAL  UNTO  THE  LAST~*  59 

2.  Let  us  keep  faith  with  othera.     Lot  us  keep 
faith  with  those  who  love  and  trust  us.     We  are 
often  thrown  into  new  and  untried  situations,  and 
the  happiness  and  well-being  of  others,  who  love  us 
better  than  life,  are  always  in  our  keeping.     The 
dedication  of  a  remarkably  popular  war  bock  is  as 
interesting  as  the  book  itself.     When  the  book  was 
written,  the  author  was  far  from  home  and  had  been 
in   many   strange   places   and   with    many   strange 
people.     He  had  faced  new  friends  and  new  forms 
of  frightfulness,  but  when  he  came  to  send  forth  the 
book  that  made  him  famous,  he  dedicated  it,  "To 
my  mother  and  my  sister."     That  is  a  fine  tribute  to 
the  mother  and  the  sister  of  the  author,  but  it  is  also 
a  fine  tribute  to  the  author  himself.     One  likes  to 
feel  that  the  pledge  of  youth  is  kept  with  those 
who  have  been  best  beloved  and  whose  love  lasts 
longest.     One    remembers    Penelope    and    her    un- 
finished  task.     Her  soldier  husband  had  gone   to 
the  war  and  was  thought  lost.     Suitors  sought  her 
hand.     She  promised  to  wed  when  the  web  she  was 
weaving  was  finished.     But  it  was  never  finished. 
What  was  done  in  the  day  was  unraveled  in  the  night, 
and,  in  that  faith  and  loyalty,  she  waited  and  won! 
Her  unfinished  task  has  become  a  proverb  of  work 
that  is  useless  and  incomplete,  but  in  the  truest 
sense  she  kept  the  faith  and  held  her  love  inviolate  to 
the  end.     It  is  in  that  spirit  that  our  home  folks 


60  MY  FIRST  COMML'NION 

watch  and  wait,  and  in  our  hands  are  their  hearts 
and  their  happiness. 

3.  Let  us  keep  faith  with  God.  We  have  entered 
into  covenant  relations  with  him.  Recognize  the 
truth  that  religion  is  not  an  extra  obligation  but  the 
motive  power  of  all  obligation.  Cast  yourself  upon 
God.  Let  no  one  rob  you  of  your  confidence.  In 
new  and  untried  circumstances  be  true  to  him  in 
whose  hands  are  the  issues  of  life  and  death.  He 
will  not  fail  you. 

The  history  of  the  last  of  the  royal  line  of  France, 
the  young  Prince  Louis,  has  always  been  veiled  in 
fascinating  mystery.  Taken  in  boyhood  from  the 
palace  he  was  cast  among  immoral  persons  and  set 
in  unworthy  surroundings,  so  as  to  degrade  his  soul 
and  allow  his  claim  to  the  throne  to  sink  into 
oblivion.  Tempted  and  tried,  harassed  on  every 
side,  dogged  by  those  who  sought  to  submerge  his 
soul,  he  would  again  and  again  resent  the  suggestions 
and  revolt  from  the  influences  that  were  thrown 
around  him  saying:  "I  can't  do  it.  I  can't  say  it. 
I  was  born  to  be  a  king."  Assert  your  royalty. 
Let  no  man  take  your  crown.  Keep  covenant  with 
God  and  keep  faith  with  your  own  soul. 

And  be  sure  of  this:  God,  the  eternal  God,  will 
keep  faith  with  you.  Cast  at  his  feet  the  burden 
of  your  care.  Make  his  cause  yours.  It  is  not  you 
who  exalt  the  cause  but  the  cause   that  ennobles 


LOYAL    INTO  Tin:   LAST  61 

and  exalts  you.  You  are  coworkers  with  him.  He 
will  never  leave  you.  He  will  never  forsake  and 
never  forget  you.  Heaven  and  earth  may  pass 
but  his  Word  will  not  pass.  In  life  and  in  death  he 
will  prove  faithful.  Alan  Seeger,  the  young  Ameri- 
can poet,  who  fell  in  the  first  days  of  the  war, 
wrote  the  beautiful  lines: 

I  have  a  rendezvous  with  Death 
At  some  disputed  barricade. 

Let  us  change  the  word  "death."  The  Christian  has 
no  rendezvous  with  death.  He  has  a  rendezvous 
with  Christ,  who  is  eternal  life.     Then  let  us  say: 

"I  have  a  rendezvous  with  Christ 


When  Spring  trips  north  again  this  year. 
And  I  to  my  pledged  word  am  true, 
I  shall  not  fail  that  rendezvous." 


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